Muslim Brotherhood calls for Egyptian protests

CAIRO, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- The Egyptian people are being called to fill the streets to show the world they will never accept defeat, a statement from the Muslim Brotherhood said Thursday.

A statement published on the Muslim Brotherhood's English-language website, Ikhwanweb, "calls on the patriotic Egyptian people" to take to the streets Friday and Saturday for peaceful demonstrations against a "heinous coup."

"Demonstrations should then continue throughout the week under the title 'Loyalty to the Martyrs Blood,'" the statement said.

The Egyptian military removed President Mohamed Morsi from power in July. A member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi became in 2012 the first president elected by a democratic vote in Egyptian history.

The Brotherhood says his ouster was a coup, though Western governments haven't used the term because it would trigger legal restrictions on international aid to the Egypt.

Hundreds of Egyptians were killed during clashes between Morsi's supporters and Egyptian security forces last month.

Ahram Online reported Egypt's interim President Adly Mansour extended a state of emergency declared Aug. 14 for another two months. The declaration was in response to "assaults on public and private property as well as killings by extremist groups," the report said.

The Muslim Brotherhood said demonstrations would show "we are a nation of free people who do not accept injustice, do not accept the opinion of the corrupt, and never accept defeat."

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